Pensa's DIWire Bender might feel like a step back from cutting-edge rapid prototyping, but it's a cool step back, and one that explores mechanical production processes.

The DIWire Bender is a rapid prototype machine that bends metal wire to produce 2D or 3D shapes. Wire unwinds from a spool, passes through a series of wheels that straighten it, and then feeds through the bending head, which moves around in 3 dimensions to create the desired bends and curves. It’s essentially a 3D printer that describes lines, instead of volumes, in space.

We like the idea, partly because we love anything that makes theatre out of mechanical production, but also because it explores how craft and technology can combine – something we explore a little more in our Digital Craft Briefing.